"Hello." Arthur's voice spoke from the other side and Margaret felt her heart stop for a second. His deep voice froze her on spot, and it took a moment before her heart resumed its functions with twice the speed.
"Hello?" His voice came through again, in the same cold and intense tone. Margaret felt extremely tensed and her nerves started acting up. She couldn't get a word out as she kept her mouth busy with chewing on her nails. Her mind was screaming at her to talk but her body was not responding in kind.
She could see a big red error message flashing in her mind. [Mind-Body coordination failed]
Margaret shook her head clear of unnecessary thoughts and opened her mouth to speak. But someone beat her to it.
"Arthur." Margaret heard another voice in the background and she frowned. Who dared to interrupt her?! And right when she convinced her body to cooperate with her. But she decided to quietly listen for now.
So much for her determination.
"Do you have to do this? Let me talk to-"
Arthur interrupted as he spoke, his voice dull and distant. "Its alright, Mr. Greenwood. I've already caused you enough troub-"
His voice stopped midway and Margaret frowned before she looked at the screen and realized the call was disconnected. She let out a groan and fell back on her bed as she threw the mobile to the side and looked up at the ceiling.
'I'm such a coward.' She decided that she would thank him and be done with it, but instead made a blank call. She grabbed a pillow and smashed it on her face.
Mr. Greenwood? Now, where did she hear that name before? Margaret pressured her memory and pulled up all the names she knew.
Greenwood… Greenwood…. Greenw- She sat up straight and blinked her eyes filled with shock.
Mr. Ryan Greenwood, the Dean of Golden Dawn University.
So, he was in the Dean's office? Great timing, Margaret!
She sighed and pulled her knees close as she hugged her pillow to her face. They must be talking about his 'assault' of Tyler and Paul, and their fake injuries. And with Tyler's father involving himself, Mr. Greenwood must've been forced to take some sort of action on Arthur.
Margaret hoped he'd be let off with a light punishment though. But as soon as she had that thought, a heavy guilt hit her deep in her gut and she wondered when she became such a hypocrite. She was probably the only one who knew the truth and yet she chose to stay silent and let him be punished. And yet she hoped he only be punished lightly?
But why should he get punished at all? He didn't do anything, literally. But Arthur's bad reputation put him at a disadvantage and Tyler was using his pretty face and image to stack up the odds against him.
James Farrell was apparently very angry so he won't rest until his son's assailant was punished, but he doesn't know the truth or the true face of his son. Or does he? Who would know if Mr. Farrell was purposely playing along with his son's script? And with his status and connections, many would be waiting in line to do him a favor and get on his good side. Either way, Arthur was backed into a corner with no way out.
The whole college was with the belief that Arthur was an underground gang leader and he needed to be put down before he does something more dangerous.
The only one who knew the truth was home, sick and won't open her mouth. Well, even if she were to tell what she saw, who would believe a single girl against the whole university's population?
So, the bottom line was… Arthur was screwed.
"Argh…" Margaret groaned into the pillow as she laid down on her side. All these schemes and plots, they were causing her head to hurt. And she was yet to recover her full strength too, so she chose not to think about it.
'I'll just take a little nap.' She turned the window blinders down and laid back, suffocating the pillow with her hug.
- -
The room was enveloped in grey overlay as Margaret was asleep on her bed, curled into a ball. She gradually stirred awake and sat up, rubbing the sleep out of her eyes.
It was a bit dark in her room so she raised the blinders of the window and was surprised for a moment. There was no sunlight, only darkness, with the moon above and street lights below illuminating the area. She looked back at the wall clock in her room reading 7:10 and let out a groan.
She slept for nearly four hours. Margaret sighed and shook her head; she wouldn't get any sleep later. She moved to the edge of the bed and slid her legs down to get up when she felt something hard under her hand. She raised her hand and found her mobile in place. She stood up, tossed it on the bedside table and turned towards the door when she remembered something. She halted in her step and looked back at the bedside table, specifically at her mobile.
The scenes from a few hours back played in her mind and concluded with a name. Arthur.
She didn't call him yet. Well, she did call him once, but that doesn't count. She needed to call him again and talk to him properly, without becoming a nervous mess or blanking out completely.
Without any other thought, she grabbed her mobile, typed in the number and tapped the call icon. All within a few seconds.
She smiled and commended herself for her decisiveness and composure. Very impressive, Margaret.
She heard the dial tone and took a deep breath before exhaling slowly. She repeated the process two more times before the dial tone was interrupted by a voice.
"Hello." Arthur's voice sounded a bit tired but it still had the coldness within it which sent Margaret's heart pounding again. Her fingers went to her mouth in a habit and she started chewing on them.
"Hello?" He repeated, a bit more firmly and Margaret instantly pulled the mobile away from her ear. She stared at the poor mobile as if it was a weapon of mass destruction.
Calm down, Margaret! Don't let your imagination run wild.
'You can do it, take a deep breath and talk.' And so, she took a deep breath and let it out.
"Who is this?" Arthur spoke again, his voice a bit strained, maybe he was wondering who it was that dared to prank call him like this.
Get yourself together, Margaret. She had to do this sooner or later, and it's best to do it on the phone rather than in person.
She finally put the phone beside her ear and spoke in a weak stutter. "I'm- I'm… Margaret."
She didn't think Arthur heard her low murmur but to her surprise, she heard Arthur immediately.
"Margaret? Is everything okay?" Arthur inquired, a hint of surprise and confusion in his voice. He mustn't have expected her to call, as he gave his number to her mom. "Are you alright?" He asked again, his voice turned soft with a tinge of worry.
Margaret gulped and nodded. "Um...Yes, I'm- I'm fine."
"Good..." There was a sigh as he responded, his voice fluctuating with uncertainty. "How is your… temperature?"
Margaret unexpectedly found herself smiling, as she heard the nonchalant Arthur trying so hard to act casual. She couldn't help but 'aww' him in her mind. The big bad Arthur was worried about his little literature partner. How cute was that?
She giggled silently and answered with a big grin. "It's down… it's normal." She lost all the nerves from earlier and felt herself relaxing. She sat down on her bed as she eased into the conversation. "So, how was your day?"
There was a long pause before Arthur's voice came through. "It's fine." Two short words, and no extra unnecessary details.
Fine, huh? So you don't want to talk about your trip to Dean's office? Well, it was not an achievement worth sharing, much less to your junior; and over a fight with other students, not to mention.
"Hmm…" Margaret dragged on, debating whether she should ask him about it or just mind her own business? She has always been a nosy person, so the answer was easy. But then again, she wondered if she was prying too much into him. What if he doesn't want to talk about it, worse, what if he thought of her as an annoying nosy girl? She would lose the only 'connection' she has with him, literally and metaphorically.
"Alright, then." Arthur's voice pulled her out of her thoughts and she realized she totally left him hanging and got lost in her own internal debate. "Take care, Margaret. Call me if you need anything."
"No, Wait!" She practically yelled into the mobile as she stood up hurriedly.
"Yes?"
Phew, he was still in the line. But now what? Margaret began to grow anxious again as she kept pacing back and forth in her brace inside the room. She had to say something, anything… Think, think, think…
"Are you free tomorrow?" Before her mind could think of something, her mouth found a perfect opportunity to run wild.
"I am." Arthur replied after a brief pause.
"Can you come to the City square with me?" Margaret blurted out, surprising herself and probably Arthur too. She immediately clasped a hand on her mouth but it was too late already. The words, once spoke cannot be taken back.
"…" Silence.
Margaret felt as if she dug a grave, wrote her name on the tombstone and lay down inside. The only thing left to do now was for Arthur to bury her with mud, laying her to rest. Forever.
The silence lingering in the air was thick and heavy. Margaret was getting more and more stressed out with each passing second. She absentmindedly let her hand fall back and her mouth didn't miss the chance.
"It's too far for me to go there alone, in a brace not to mention. And my mom is too busy to go with me." Margaret already gave up trying to stop her mouth. It's as if it has a mind of its own, and plans of its own.
"…" More silence.
"I have to buy the Literature study material before Monday's class." Margaret stopped thinking and let her mouth take charge. "And you just told me to call you if I need anything."
She smiled at her brilliant brain's logical reasoning as she heard him trying to say something but he didn't speak up in the end. He probably couldn't find anything to say without contradicting his promise just a minute ago, and Margaret locked his choices with his own words. "So… can you come with me, pleeeease." She purposely dragged the last word for extra effect.
Arthur continued his silent for a while more, trying to find an excuse maybe. Margaret was walking in circles and chewing away her fingers as she anticipated his reply.
After close to 45 seconds of agonizing silence, she heard a heavy sigh.
"I will pick you up at your home, tomorrow." He finally relented and Margaret punched the air in front in triumph. "11'o clock?"
"I'll be ready." She answered with a grin stretching from ear to ear.
"See you tomorrow, Margaret." Arthur spoke one last time before he ended the call.
Margaret fell back on the bed, with the mobile in hand and let out a stressful sigh. She felt as if she accomplished an impossible task. And her cheeks were hurting from the huge grin on her face.
Did she just ask the university's most notorious guy to take her shopping? She must be really brave or completely lost her freaking mind. But either way, she wasn't regretting anything.
"Maggy! Wake up, Maggy…" She heard her mom's voice before Carol opened the door and stepped inside. As she saw her daughter already awake, she smiled and spoke."How are you feeling, darling?"
Margaret sat up straight and grinned, giving her thumbs up. Carol chuckled at her gesture as she walked closer and sat beside her, putting the back of her palm on Margaret's forehead. She then smiled and nodded. "Your temperature seems normal."
"Yes, Mom. I'm actually feeling great." Margaret grinned at her.
"I'm glad to hear that." Carol ruffled Margaret's hair and stood up. "So, I wanted to ask you about dinner. I was thinking, why don't we order something instead of cooking again? We can kick back and relax, maybe watch a movie?"
Margaret didn't need to be asked twice as she jumped up from the bed with a smile. "That's a good idea, Mom."
"Alright, then." Carol nodded with a smile of her own.
- -
Going with their earlier plan, Margaret and her mom ordered some food for dinner and spent the night watching movies, getting some 'girl time' together. They were awake late into the night chatting as they watched most of the current hits. Since the next day was a holiday, neither was in any hurry to sleep. It was around 3' o clock that they decided to go to their beds because they felt uncomfortable sleeping in their seats.
Margaret slipped into her covers, feeling happy and peaceful after a really long time. But in some corner of her mind there was a single thought nagging her.
'Am I forgetting something?'
- -
"Maggy… Maggy…" Carol's voice was echoing in the background of the quiet dusky room. The girl on the bed disappeared somewhere under the covers and was oblivious to the calls of her mom.
"Margaret!" Carol's voice grew firmer, and there was even a hint of annoyance underneath.
There were movements under the soft covers as a pillow was dragged inside before everything stilled again. A few moments later, the sound of footsteps could be heard getting closer and then, the door to the room was flung open.
Carol stormed into the room with a frown and grabbed the covers firmly before she pulled them off in one swift movement, revealing a curled up Margaret, holding a pillow to cover her ears. Carol sighed as she watched her daughter helplessly and proceeded to confiscate her pillow.
"Mom…" Margaret cried out, without even opening her eyes, as her hands searched around and grabbed another pillow. "Be a good girl and let me sleep for a while more, okay?"
Carol's forehead twitched in annoyance and she had the urge to give a good, hard smack to her daughter. But she took a deep breath and calmed herself as she spoke. "There's someone downstairs, looking for you."
"I don't care, unless it is George Clooney. Or Hugh Jackman." Margaret blabbered as she waved her off and turned to the other side, hugging her pillow with a silly smile. "Yeah, only they have the right to see me without an appointment. Everybody else needs to wait till I finish my beauty sleep."
Carol couldn't help but roll her eyes at her daughter's daydreams. "Oh, get out of your dreams, will you? It's your friend." She pulled up the blinders by the window as Margaret's eyes snapped open and she sat up in a reflex.
Margaret turned to Carol, her eyes wide as she stared into her mom's rather amused ones. There was only one person, who according to her mom, was her 'friend'.
"You didn't tell me you guys made plans for today." Carol frowned with a pout and crossed her arms, trying to seem upset.
On the bed, Margaret was still stunned speechless. Was he really here? Down the stairs, just below her room?
Actually she had a hard time believing that she did what she did yesterday. And after a good night's sleep, if anything, it felt much more like a dream.
"Is he really here?" Margaret asked, blinking her eyes in a daze.
Carol raised a brow at the uncertainty in her voice but shrugged and smiled. Margaret instantly turned to the clock on the wall and groaned.
So he was actually here, and on time too. He said he would but… Margaret didn't think he would really come pick her up. She wouldn't have been surprised if he forgot about their plan, because she forgot about it. So it was entirely possible that he could too, right?
"Come on now, get up and get ready." Carol pulled her off the bed and directed her into the bathroom. "And make it fast." She added, looking at her dazed expression and closed the door as she walked away.
Margaret blew a breath and picked up her toothbrush. Time to shine.